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August 00 | "We have a wonderfully dedicated, loyal, intelligent
and hardworking staff. But our policies are often too restrictive and
our processes too complicated. We need to review all aspects of how we
conduct our business, with the aim of streamlining decision-making and
assuring that our processes are truly aimed at providing speedy, efficient
and friendly services to everyone."

It was these words,
spoken by Chancellor Berdahl during his 1998 inauguration speech, which,
nearly one year later, gave birth to Berkeley's Center for Organizational
Effectiveness.

Known as COrE, the
center was established, in part, to help the campus reduce bureaucracy.
Now well into its second year, COrE has worked with more than 30 units,
partnering with them to plan and improve their operations.

Two new methods COrE
has brought to Berkeley are the Excellence in Higher Education organizational
assessment program and the Ford RAPID process improvement tool.

Ron Coley, assistant
vice chancellor for business and administrative services, encouraged his
units to take advantage of these tools. His director of mail services,
Bill McCart, did just that, participating in both programs to increase
his department's efficiency.

"Though the demands
for our services are increasing, our staffing and budget are not," said
McCart. "We needed to find a way to maximize our efforts."

The first step: Bringing
together several of his managers and staff to participate in an Excellence
in Higher Education assessment workshop. Using group discussion and other
exercises, the facilitator led the group through a self-evaluation process,
which was used to develop of list of strengths and problem areas. After
more discussion, the list of improvables was narrowed down to three top
issues. Strategies were then developed by participants to address these
areas.

The main concerns for
mail services included improving cross training of staff, reliability
of service and productivity.

McCart then took it
a step further, utilizing the Ford RAPID process improvement program to
develop action plans that addressed the issues outlined in the first assessment.

For mail services,
this meant removing the barriers between staff who processed incoming
and outgoing mail, balancing workloads, and rotating people to various
functions, as needed, to meet work-flow demands.

"Our staff are now
versed in a broader range of tasks, we are better able to respond to unexpected
staffing shortages and have increased productivity," said McCart. "The
workshops are something every department on campus can benefit from."

These programs are
successful, said Phyllis Hoffman, COrE director, because they are comprehensive,
emphasize turning ideas into action, outline attainable goals and rely
heavily on participant input.

"Those closest to the
work are best able to come up with solutions," she said. "What we do is
assist departments in solving their own problems. We aren't fix-it people
who come in and tell people what's wrong with their operations."

COrE facilitators focus
on the process, assessing the functions and structure of a particular
unit, not individual jobs or people, said Hoffman. Using small group discussion,
anonymous surveys and other techniques ensure everyone has room to speak.

To further assist departments
with organizational effectiveness, COrE collaborates with other campus
resources, such as the Office of Human Resources, CARE Services and the
Ombuds office. By approaching issues from many fronts, departments are
better able to come up with solutions, said Hoffman.

COrE's services are
recommended for groups whose leaders and staff are committed to embarking
upon change. Says Hoffman, "although it's not always easy, it's well worth
the effort."